HomePublicationsManuscripta Castreniana Ostiak-SamoiedicaAbsolute declension

Absolute declension

Contents

Editor’s introduction

The text serving as the basis for the grammar here can be found on pages 57–85 of the second volume. Castrén has here written a combined grammar for the dialects N, Č and K. Dialects MO and Ob are never mentioned. In the margin a few comments on NP and Taz were added afterwards. The text was obviously written in Tomsk in 1846.

Unfortunately this combined grammar contains forms constructed by Castrén himself, intended to unite the three dialects in single paradigms as far as possible. All word forms should thus be regarded as constructed, but the mark † has been omitted, as it concerns all words of the combined grammar. Forms which are clearly impossible have been marked ††. Forms explicitly said to be in a given dialect are usually reliable, taken from the original manuscripts, but the use of symbols is often changed.

A shorter version of this text serves as grammar in GSL. The GSL version is included here only when it offers any additional information.

Text in black is Castrén’s (original or translated into English, sometimes both, separated by a slash), text in grey is the editor’s.

Nouns

G57 The nouns in Samoyedic lack gender. They have in some dialects two, in others three numbers.

Cases

Cases are the following seven:

1. Nominative

The nominative has no specific ending.

2. Genitive

The genitive ends in the Tomsk dialect [Selkup], as in many other Finnish [Uralic] languages in -n, a suffix that has developed from the weak aspiration of the northern dialect [Nenets], e.g. udà hand: genitive údan (Obdorsk [Nenets] uda’).

Notes on the genitive from the original grammars:

Narym

In the genitive (singular, dual and plural) -n alternates with -t. 88 -t before hard consonants, -n before vowels and m, n, v, j. 89

Examples of liaison: logat‿še or loga‿še [fox’s tongue], logat‿hai or loga‿hai [fox’s eye] 89, logan‿ol [fox’s head], logat‿toba [fox’s foot], logat‿talds [fox’s tail], logat‿koba [fox’s hide], logan‿moh [fox’s back], mada‿čahaei house’s roof 159, kueln‿muid fish liver, hirn‿mued cow liver, njaban‿mued duck liver, kanat‿kap dog blood, hirt‿kap cow blood, agat‿hoi older brother’s voice, hirt‿čos cow tallow, čöndet‿čos horse tallow, ‹t›vet‿šidš birch (bark?) coal, hadet‿šiu spruce ashes, korgot‿felegok bear spittle 160, nop God: nut‿tit cloud, nun‿nep [God’s name] 161 udon, udeal‿lî [bone of the hand], udean‿mun [finger of the hand]. 164

NP

The genitive always accents the ultima. 289

[About schwa:] The genitive takes a, plural and other unaccented cases э (after ǥ however a), otherwise o [the shift stem]. 290

Baiha

Examples: lok͔án, lók͔an‿ol [fox’s head], cf. čýnden, máadet‿par [house’s top] (the accent in the genitive singular is on the first syllable, in the dative [allative] on the last). 363, njemerä gnat: njemerän, tibenjan‿ima [wife of (my) brother] 365, timet‿paar tandens slut / end [ɔ: top] of the tooth 362, čĭmэ glue: čiment ([genitive 1S] -mon uug [edge of the/my glue!], kyymэ brain: -men, piime boot: -men. 365 pok͔ [net]: pok͔an, njulg [fir]: -gen or -gon (njulgen (-t) paar), čueč [land]: čuečen, mač [forest]: mačen, puč [tinder?]: pučen (ol).

[About schwa:] NB. Nominatives in -č(e) take in the genitive always e, not o (pučen ol, not pučon), similarly those in tj. 367

Taz

[About schwa:] NB. For nouns in consonant [= schwa stems] is in the Taz dialect a the usual connecting vowel, but it alternates with e, a and sometimes also i. After c̢, tj comes e. Weak stems take in accented syllables o, in unaccented usually e. 405

Karasino

Examples:

[Consonant stems] maat house: maaden, k͔aat forehead: k͔aaden, njänj bread: njänjen, njinj worm: njinjen. 397 kanang dog: kanan, kuuk chief: kúugen, kyyk black grouse: kyygen, tî́teng siberian pine: tîtî́n, aabek lid: abî́n, tîrep roe: tirî́n, kup person: kumen, liem board: líemen. 398

[Schwa stems] ol head: olon, ut hand: uton, tob foot: tobon, kî́l breast: kîîln, korg bear: korgon, porg cloth: porgon, njulg fir: njulgon, perg stomach: pergon, yn strap: ynon or ynen, pit nest: piten or piton, matj forest: matjen, putj tinder: putjen. 397

[About schwa:] Those in j with a preceding consonant take in the genitive (i.e. unaccented syllable) e, otherwise o. 397

[Fixed vowel stems] tu lake: ton, pu tree: puun (-ó-), tuu: feather: tuun, kuu ear: kuun. 397

3. Accusative

The accusative ends in the northern [Nenets] and southern dialect [Selkup], as in several Finnish languages in -m (-p). But as here an ambiguity can arise between the accusative and the first person possessive suffix, the suffix can often be omitted, and the accusative thus becomes identical with the nominative.

Notes on the accusative from the original grammars:

Narym

Accusative [ɔ: the form of the object] is either = nominative, or takes the ending -p, dialectally -m. 160

Accusative -p changes before vowel and m, n into m, before l into b. 89

Examples:

[Consonant stems] njaim (-jep) bread, ydem, ydep water, tabek squirrel: tabep, kanak dog: kanap, kup person, (njap or) njabap duck, lep [board]: leum (or lep). 160

[Schwa stems] udop hand, hir cow: hirp, čyndem, čyndep horse, kagl sledge: kaglem (-p), njudšep or -em hay, (kuel or) kuelem fish, (kork or) korgop bear. 160

[Fixed vowel stems] logam, logap fox, lî: lep bone, ty fire: tym, typ, ci kettle: cem, cep, (šy or) šyp snake. 160

Baiha

The accusative [ɔ: the form of the object] does not take an ending. 364

Taz

kîč or kît: accusative kîcem (-p) or -tem (-p), k͔uel fish: k͔uelem. 403

4. Dative [= dative and allative]

[Castrén combines the dative case (‘into’) with the postposition ni (‘to’, here named ‘allative’), not distinguishing them as morphologically and semantically different expressions. Mostly animate nouns are given, due to semantic reasons, allative forms, inanimate nouns are given dative forms, but often both appear. The postposition ni is in the N and Ob dialects a few times used as a case suffix, i.e. without the genitive suffix, see the paradigms.]

G57 The dative has for animate nouns the ending -n (-nn) or -ni, -nni [allative case], for inanimate nouns -nd [dative case], and after a hard consonant for both animate and inanimate nouns -t, which has developed from *-n, e.g. logà fox: dative [allative] logàn (logànn(a)), logani, tylče gun: tylčend, (kwé birch: kwénd), nedek girl: nedèkt or neden, pälek half: pälekt, kap blood: kapt (kamn). The dative in -n [the allative] is distinguished from the genitive in multisyllabic words by the fact that in the former the ultima is accented, while in the latter it is unaccented. Because of this dative tends to take a geminate nn, and the dative suffix transforms ‹dialectally to e [?, unreadable]›. To further distinguish them, some dialects take -ni.

G58 Also the northern dialect [Nenets] has for dative the three suffixes -n, -nd and -t, but here -nd is due to the weak aspiration and -t to the hard. Without doubt the situation has been the same in the southern dialect [Selkup]. Also in some dialects the border between animates and inanimates is still somewhat indeterminate and unstable. Also in the Finnish languages -n is the usual suffix for the dative, in particular for the dativus interior or illative, which is mainly the sense of the dative in Samoyedic.

Notes on the dative and allative from the original grammars:

Narym

The dative has the ending -n for animate nouns [= allative], -nd, -ónd, -t for inanimate nouns [= dative]. 88

Examples of the dative:

[Consonant stems] mat [house]: mā́ta, y̆́t (öt) water: yt?, [below:] öt: öt (NB. yöt and dative yt are pronounced the same), kā́t forehead: kat (‘or [prosecutive 3S ] kanmund’), mungat bosom: mungat, čắt sinew: čátt, ak mouth: akt (= [local 3S] akend), tönak sleeve: tönakt, šapak pocket: šapakt, hundak chest: hundakt, köncir side: köncirt, čeher snare: čehert, kušer курья: kušert, kel pit: kelond or keldš. 159

[Schwa stems] and лодка: anond, annond, mač forest: mačond, her snow: xerond, kagel sledge: kagelond, čapta dew: čaptond, čof cradle: čohond, kuedš исток: kyedšond, hai eye: hajond, wăt road: wattond, und beard: undond or unnond, pok net: pokond ([possessive forms instead of absolute, local 3S:] îl bottom: ilogond, tjondš middle: tjondšogond, kîl breast: kilogönd). 159 šiu ashes: šivend, tit cloud: titend, hidš heart: hidšend, ed village: edend. 159

[Fixed vowel stems] tu lake: tond, ty fire: tynd, kî river: kend, ci kettle cend, ko ear: kond, lî bone: lend (‘or [prosecutive 3S ] leund’). 159 aga brother: agand (changed to allative 1S agan моему брату / to my brother), cyni двор: cynind, tylde gun: tyldend, kala bowl: kaland, tulgo chest: tulgond. 159

Examples of the allative:

[Consonant stems] kok͔ chief: kón, kup person: kún, kanak [dog]: kanan, ingar невеска: ingarn, nädek girl: näden, töt otter: tödän. 159

[Schwa stems] cönd: cöndan åt häst / to horse, hir cow: xirn. 159

[Fixed vowel stems] kadši [nephew]: kadšin, cedšega uncle: -gan, ära husband: äran. 159, na that: nan, ii son: iin. 159

Čulym

NB. The suffix -dše has often developed from d, as the consonant change in the dative shows. 292

NP

The dative [allative] takes the suffix ´-nni [meaning that the accent is on the preceding syllable]. 289

The dative [allative] suffix ni is actually a postposition. 286

Eloguj

tjondš middle: tjonnond 357, maatta šeernang I entered the house. 356

Baiha

Examples: njeps [tit]: niepsond, koldónd Enisej, tjind [bow string]: tjinnond 364

čuudš: čuudšondš onto the bar, muendš nelma: muennondš, čondš middle: čonnondš, tjueč earth: tjuečondš, nandš: nannondš into the belly, saač hemp: saačóndš. NB. A č word-finally [ɔ: before schwa] causes the suffix to be ndš instead of nd. So also in nominatives in a [full] vowel preceded by č, e.g. koča [sack]: kočandš. 364 tibond [peg], eedond [village], ykond [hat]. 367

kaland bowl, tišend arrow, kansánd into the pipe, tulgond [chest], tond [lake], niršand [ruffe]. 364

d and dš after n are assimilated and turn into n, e.g. and [boat]: annond, tjondš [middle]: tjonnondš. As the latter example shows, in this case the suffix is ndš. NB. 363

(The accent in the genitive singular is on the first syllable, in the dative [allative] on the last). 363

Karasino

Examples:

[Consonant stems] kîl pit: kîld, čen sinew: čend, tjesen snare: tjesend. 397 tynang sleeve: tynak͔t, tî́teng Siberian pine: tîtekt, aabek lid: aabekt, liem board: [false] lemend, maat house: maattэ. 398

[Schwa stems] alg velvet scoter: algen 394 perg stomach: pergond, pit nest: pitond, matj forest: matjond, putj tinder: putjond. 397

5. Ablative and Inessive (Locative) [= locative/ablative and inessive/elative]

[As with the dative/allative, Castrén does not distinguish the locative ‘in’ from the postpositional forms ‘by’, which are mostly given for animate nouns due to semantic reasons (‘by the man, у человека, miehen luona’ being more natural than ‘inside the man, в человеке, miehessä’) (cf. E462 man lok͔áǥan iisam из лисицы вынул / I took it out of the fox (ketusta), lok͔annán от лисицы / from the fox (ketun luota)).

Castrén continues until the end to hold the assumption that the locative -k͔ən and ablative -k͔ənnə are identical, even when he becomes familiar with the dialects where the difference is clearer. Spellings like Č kuačógan(na) mean locative *kuačógan, ablative *kuačóganna, The same concerns the postposition nā-, here the locative nān is named the ‘inessive’, the ablative nānnə the ‘elative’.]

G58 Ablative and inessive (locative) are expressed with the same suffixes: -ǥan or -k͔an for inanimate nouns, -nàn or -nnàn for animate nouns. In the former the connecting vowel is stressed, e.g. ud hand: udógan from the hand, tob foot: tobóǥan from the foot, in the latter unstressed, e.g. lógannàn from the fox [written: ‘av räven / of the fox’], kýndennan from the horse [written: ‘av hästen / of the horse’].

G59 In the northern dialect [Nenets] dative [ɔ: ablative] ends in -had, -hat, and this suffix through the transformation of k to ǥ and t to n in this dialect has been changed to -ǥan. The suffix -nan has developed from the locative -na (-n, -nn) in the northern dialect of Samoyed and in several Finnish languages, which in contrast to the genitive and dative seems to have been doubled, e.g. loga fox: locative *logàna [deleted: ablative *lóganàna or *loganan] or *logànn, from which *loganàna or *logannàna, *loganan or *logannan. The original suffix -n (-nn) or -na is still found in this dialect in several adverbs and postpositions, e.g. innèn or innènn(a) above [the latter: ‘from above’], illèn or illènn(a) below, from below. That ablative and locative in this dialect have merged is due to __ influence [sic, before the word ‘influence’ nothing is written].

Notes to the locative/ablative and inessive/elative from the original grammars:

Narym

The locative-ablative has the ending -nnan for animate nouns, -gan for inanimate. -n in locative-ablative -gan, -ógan, -éagan alternates with -t [actually: only in the locative]. 88 NB. Ablative = locative. 161

Examples of the locative/ablative:

[Consonant stems] hîrgan (-t) “in the snow = hirógan” [actually: in the cow, hirógan in the snow], ötkan (-t) в воде / in the water, matk͔an в избе / in the house, edegan (-t) в юрте / in the village, akan (-kk-) in the mouth, tönak: tönakan in the sleeve, šapakan in the pocket, čogorgan в печке / in the oven, hundakkan in the chest. 160

[Schwa stems] madšógan (-t) в лесу / in the forest, andógan в лодке / in the boat, kaglógan in the sledge, udógan из руки / from the hand. 160

[Fixed vowel stems] či: čegan in the kettle, kogan in the ear, togan in the lake, kîgan in the river, pogan in the tree. 160

[On p. 161 translated as if being prosecutive:] udogat (-n) по руку, kîgat речкой, по речку, watógat дорогой, по дорогу, ket-pargat горой, ytkat водой, matkat. 161

Examples of the inessive/elative:

kuunnan in [sic] the person, agannan у брата / by the [ɔ: my] brother, logannan in [sic] the fox, njabannan in [sic] the duck, kanannan в собаке / in [sic] the dog, čöndennan in [sic] the horse, hîrnnan in [sic] the cow, čegennan [sic, -g-] in [sic] the swan. 160

NP

The ablative takes the suffix -nnán(a) [read: locative postposition *-nnán, ablative *-nnánna]. 289

Baiha

Locative-ablative kanságan. 363 Ablative ykógan. 367

Taz

The ablative and locative are expressed with the same suffix, e.g. čuečógan‿ippa на земле лежит / lies on the ground, čuečógan‿wuešang из земли стал / I rose from the ground. E455

Examples: še tongue: ablative šéaǥan, kamppi холст: ablative kamppiaǥ‹em?!›. 404 tulgo chest: ablative tulgogan. 405

Karasino

Those in y have in the ablative -yugan (elative -ynnan). 397

6. Prosecutive

G59 The prosecutive expresses movement along space and ends in this dialect in -ún (-út) or -men, in the northern dialect [Nenets] in -una, -mana. In some dialects this case is replaced by the ablative, and in others the ablative suffix is joined with the prosecutive, e.g. logannaun [this being the postposition nā- in prosecutive].

Notes on the prosecutive from the original grammars:

Narym

In the prosecutive suffix -út, t alternates with n. 88

[Among postpositions:] -ut längsefter / along: tóut озером / along (by, through) the lake, önmút водою, ket parút берегом, watoút дорогою, ulgoút (or ulgo-parút) льдем. 80

Examples:

[Consonant stems:] (au) pälegmút другой стороной, kanak : kanagmut, hok͔: hogomut [sic] мысом, öt: önmut водою, k͔ap: kamut кровю, termut икрой. 117

[Schwa stems:] wattout дорогою, madsóut лесом, pelóut, [as prosecutive 1S:] peloút мостю, ‹k›eloút, cyndeut. 117

[Fixed vowel stems:] (ar) köut стороной. 117

Ket

[Among postpositions:] -un: ytmun [water], wattóun [road]. 80

Baiha

NB. Prosecutive singular in -met. 366

Examples:

[Consonant stems:] yynmet (-n) по воду / along the water. 363

[Schwa stems:] muettómet (-n) по дорогу / along the road, mačómet (-n) på skog [along the forest] (or [locative] -ogat), kobomet по кожу / along the skin, sîrómet (or [locative] sirógat) по снегу. 363

[Fixed vowel stems:] lokámet [fox], kočámet [sack]. 363

NB. Means ‘längsefter, bredvid / along, beside’, e.g. kočamet kuečang jag går längsefter randen av säcken / I (will) go along the (edge of the) sack, cf. sîrómet på snön / on [along] the snow. 363

Taz

Examples: wuettómet [road], kobómet [skin], čuečómet [land], kîmet på flod [along the river]. 403

7. The instructive [= instructive]

G59 The instructive is in the northern dialect [Nenets] usually replaced by the locative G60 and also here the suffix -n sometimes expresses the same instructive case, especially in the Ket dialect [here the real instructive is meant].

GSL157 The instructive can in some dialects be expressed with the suffix n originally belonging to the locative, while on the other side he or ze is used to represent the comitative.

Notes on the instructive from the original grammars:

Narym

tagî (taget) summer: tagen‿ék [it is summer], kad winter: kan‿ék зимой [it is winter] 161.

Ket

Instructive: pittje axe: pidjen pattjannau топором рубил / I hewed with the axe. NB. The instructive in -se and -n, e.g. pitjen with an axe, paan with a knife, comitative -se expresses accompaniment. 231

Baiha

šit utn med bägge händerna / with both hands 362, instructive singular = genitive: utn (for úten) [followed by a list, but it is unclear whether the forms are meant to be instructives or genitives (-ón forms can be only genitive 1S):] úten = utón, tópen = topón foot, ólen = olón, kîîlen = kîîlón, k͔uelen, porgon. 366

7. Instructive [= comitative]

[About instructive -n:] G60 But as in this case ambiguity might arise both with the genitive and dative [allative], this suffix has given way to a new one: -hè or -sè, that actually denotes accompaniment (casus comitativus), and has probably developed from a dual character. To express the comitative, the enclitic otti, opti, op‹se?› is also used, which probably is a loan from Ostyak [Khanty], where the instructive ends in -at (-att).

Notes on the comitative from the original grammars:

Narym

Examples:

[Consonant stems:] tafé (prop. *taphé) with him. 6 kofé with the man (*-phé), kanahé with the dog, cassé with sinew, NB. yt: yssé водою / with water, töt: tösʃé with an otter [written ‘beaver’] ([comitative 3S:] maté or matehé с избой, kate͑he with the forehead) 161

[Schwa stems:] pagehé with a knife, pečehé (pečé) with an axe, andehé with a boat, ed: edehe with a village, čapt(a): čaptahé with dew, wadšehé с мясом / with meat (comitative 1S udone моей? рукою / with my hands) = udehe. 161

[Fixed vowel stems:] pohe with a tree, tyhé with fire, tyldehé with a gun, cehé with the kettle. 161

NP

The instructive ends in -si. 289

Eloguj

tíbenja: tibenjáse с братом / with the brother. 358

Baiha

Instructive in -se, e.g. paangese with knife. 364 maassé with house. 363

Taz

The instructive is used as a fact[itive] and essive. Instead of the essive, the postposition k͔o is also used, e.g. siitko piigelmba соболем повернулся / he turned into a sable. 392 paangesa, toobese. 403

Caritive

[Castrén considers the caritive a postposition, and does not include it in the paradigms. The examples are from the original grammars.]

Narym

kā́la͑k, kaalak förutan / without: udo gaalak without hands, udo gāla͑ng eäk I am without hands. Wa376 káalak without, postposition. Wb207 kaala͑k, kálk utan: mat kaalak без меня / without me, komde kalak utan pengar / without money, le kalak utan ben / without bones. 79 †kālak utan. GSL717 mat k͔ála͑k (kal(a͑)k) without me, paî kal(a͑)k without a knife. 69 mát kála͑k без дома / without a house, page gala͑k [without a knife], peče gálak [without an axe], öt kálak [without water], njaj kalak [without bread]. 161

MO

kalt 79, man kalt [without me], NB maat kalt elng [he lives without a house]. 69 seigalt eäng [I am blind], seigalt eng [he is blind]. 279

Čulym

káala͑̀k utan = kaat, e.g. maat kaalang or -kaat ilang, iland, ileng я, ты, он без дома живу, живешь, живет / I live, you live, he lives without a house. 327 *kaltta (kalt) Wa376.

OO

kaalak or kalt (ilang, ílêk). 327 kaltta (kalt). Wa376 seigalt ĭegang [I am blind], kogalt iegang [I am deaf]. 279

Ket

kaala͑k Wa376 kaalak or kaalang [sic]: maat kaalak ilang [I live without a house]. 79 man kaalak [without me] 69 saigalng [sic, -ng] eegang [I am blind], kok kaalang [sic, -ng] eegang [I am deaf]. 279

NP

kălăk 327 kalk Wa376, Wb207.

Baiha

kaaleng utan 387 kaalang Wb207 †kālang GSL717.

Taz

kāleng Wb207 kắleng 435.

Karasino

*kāleng Wb207.

The translative (gerund of the translative derivation)

Narym

ödula водою / into water (–ula (prop. –ela) будет), korgulea till björn, karhuksi / into a bear, ulgo‹r?›la = ulgo ula льдем сделался / became ice [into ice]. 161

Čulym

stolule miendam столом сделаю / I will make it into a table, si ule mieguan собольём сделался / he turned (made himself) into a sable. 284

“Object” to intransitive verbs

Taz

aatälj peeresam оленей искал / I searched for reindeers [Considered by Castrén to be identical with collectives in -ľ mi̮]. 404

Karasino

aatälj peerä́ndšang оленей искать стану / I’ll go search for reindeers, täbeälj peerä́ndšang белки искать стану / I’ll go search for squirrels, šiipalj p. for ducks, seengelj p. for capercaillies, maadelj p. for houses, ulj p. for willow grouse, kîlj p. for rivers, kumelj p. for people, lok͔alj p. for foxes, andilj for boats, tjundilj for horses, k͔orgolj for bears, lapelj for oars, kaglilj for sledges. The ending is actually -elj, which alternates with -ilj, -olj, -alj etc. The same ending appears in adjectives. When the word is declined, the ending takes a mî-. 402

Collectives

The plural has in the Tomsk dialect [Selkup] two suffixes: -t [plural] in the lower dialect [N] and -la in the upper dialect [Č, K, a collective suffix]. The former has completely disappeared from the upper dialect, but on the contrary is -la used in the lower dialect as much as -t [sic, meaning Nm?]. The latter suffix is however the [sentence not finished]. [...] -la belongs properly to the Turkic languages, but is also found in several Finnish languages.

[Collective la in the Southern dialects:] GSL158-159: The plural in la is without a doubt borrowed from Turkic, but by Ob it is the most used, and its declension is completely regular. It takes the same case suffixes as the singular of nouns of the first declension [vowel stems], even the double endings for dative, ablative and locative [postpositions] are recognized in this form of plural.

[Collective -ľ mi̮ in the Tundra dialect:] The said suffix la has dialectally changed to ľ, which in this shape only comes in the [deleted: plural] nominative. In its declension it always takes the indefinite pronoun [sic] mы, and already in nominative the compound suffix ľmы is very common. It is declined according to the paradigm of mы.

Narym

[On page 89 come forms in -la, termed diminutives, together with another peculiar form in -šal, and one instance of a real diminutive -ga:]

Diminutive: NB. logá: logalá (from -elá?) (also logašal), cynd: cyndälá, tob: (tobolá) (or tobošal), mat: (mallá), tabek: (tabelá), nädek: (nädelá), holak: (holalá), kop: kuulá, njap: (njáblá), tob foot [second time]: tobola (or tobošal), ol: olola‹i?› (also ologa, ološal). 89

Prosecutives keut = kelaút речкой / along the river, koldút = koldlaut Обью / along Ob. 147

[Note: In the combined grammar appear forms like †kulelahe, showing the collective in a h-dialect. These are probably false, like other similar constructions in the combined grammar. But if the Nm idiom is Parabel, it would very probably have known the collective suffix. This is however nowhere mentioned in Castrén’s materials (cf. above, where a la suffix is not identified as a plurality marker). Also, these border dialects use the collective suffix together with the numeral suffixes, so there is no reason to assume forms like †kulelahe to be Nm.]

Baiha

NB. The plural can also be formed by adding njá, e.g. loǥanja foxes, kumenjá people, äätenjá reindeers, ruušenjá Russians. Indeclinable, augmentative (from nja ‘friend’?). 364

Taz

Table of ‘plural’ forms (plurals and collectives) p. 392:

animate [sic]

inanimate and animate
N -t N -ljmэ or -ljmet
G -ten G -ljmet (-n)
D/All. -tkiin D/All. -ljmend, -ljmetkiin
Abl./El. -tnaan Abl./El. -ljmeak͔an or -mennán?
P -tmet P -ljmemet
C -tse C -ljmetse
Px1S? -ljmeme

NB. mэ is only a temporary [suffix], and lj constitutes the actual ending, which in suffixed form transforms into l. 392

Examples: pyy stone: pyljme, aak͔k͔alj bridle: ak͔k͔aliljmэ, njänj bread: njaanjilmэ. 392

muun finger: muuniljmî, njänj bread: njänjilmî, kop skin: kopeljmî, aamd horn: aamdeiljmî, yk hat: ykieljmî, porǥ coat: porkailmî, tu lake: toljmî.

NB. To a consonant is added -iljmî, after ǥ -ailjmi. 403

top foot: topeljmî, lap oar: lapeljmî, maat house: maateljmî, kuel fish: kuelilmî, ol head:, olilmî, njulg пихта: njulgelmî, korǥ bear: korgeljmi, porǥ coat: porgeljmî, and boat: ˜andeljmы, kîl pit: kî́leiljmы, pîl bridge: pî́lieljmэ, muun finger: muunieljmы, njänj bread: njanjiljmы, sîr cow: sîîriljmы, yyn strap: yynieljm, kagl sledge: kagliljmы, eed village: eedieljmы, tib peg: tíbiljmэ, tuet earth: tuettiljmы, pič axe: pičiljmэ. NB. piče pike: pičeljm, mač forest: mačiljmэ. The actual ending is -eljmî (-iljm) or (-eljm), i.e. e sometimes becomes i. 404

This is the usual adjective suffix l (lj) with added mî, which also can be omitted, e.g. aatälj peeresam оленей искал / I searched for reindeers [the latter form is the “object” to an intransitive verb, see above]. 404

Karasino

kî river: kîljmî (= plural kît), maat: maadeljmî юрты / houses (dative maadeljmênd). 402

Petrified cases

G60 Apart from these suffixes some particles have for dative or illative cases the suffix -è, which is found in Ostyak, Lappish?, Syryan, Tatar and also in Finnish alternates with -n. In a few nouns I have also noted a ‹locative?› in -à, e.g. [no examples given].

Numbers

G61 Numbers are singular, dual and plural.

The dual is little used, in some dialects not found at all. In the nominative dual ends in -ǥ, -k͔, in the northern dialect [Nenets] in -ha (-ng, -k), in Lappish in [nothing written].

The plural has in the Tomsk dialect [Selkup] two suffixes: -t in the lower dialect [N] and -la in the upper dialect [Č, K, this being a collective suffix]. The former has completely disappeared from the upper dialect, but on the contrary -la is used in the lower dialect as much as -t [sic, meaning Nm?]. The latter suffix is however the [sentence not finished]. -t is the original suffix and has developed from the sharp aspiration in the northern dialect, e.g. [Nenets] uda: plural uda’, [Selkup] udat. Also the suffix -t is common in the Finnish languages, -la belongs properly to the Turkic languages, but is also found in several Finnish languages.

Both the dual and the plural on -t are seldom used outside the nominative case.

GSL158-159: The more original plural suffix t [in comparison to the collective suffix la in the Southern dialects] can also in some dialects take the same suffixes as singular, but in others [the Tundra dialect] the dative is formed, like the dual, by adding to the nominative plural character king, kin, kini. Dialectally also the plural marker t in the dative can be changed to n and thereto suffixes added like in the dative singular. The same is usually the case in the prosecutive, which softens t to n and takes the suffix ut. In some dialects, however, t remains unchanged and in this case thereto is added the marker met according to the second declension [consonant stems]. The genitive and accusative are expressed also in the plural through the nominative, but can also (in some dialects) take the usual suffixes for the singular, by which t changes to d. The same change appears in some dialects also in the instructive [comitative], but in others t remains unchanged and takes the suffix se.

Notes on the dual and plural forms from the original grammars:

Dual

Narym

The dual is rarely inflected, but in such cases the usual endings for nouns in consonant [= schwa] stems are added to the nominative. 88

Examples:

[Consonant stems:] mátka house, kanáka dog, čatka sinew, koupka person, hirga cow. 162

[Schwa stems:] tobo(a)ga foot, udóx, udóh hand, hajóh eye, watox road, cöndeaǥa horse, sedeah the two, titeah (-ga) cloud. 162

[Fixed vowel stems:] ämné [daughter-in-law]: -eag, kadé [spruce]: -eag, tue [birch bark]: tweag, kwe [birch]: -eag, še [tongue]: šeag, ne [daughter]: neag. 91, tog(a) lake, kegaeh river, čega kettle. 162

Baiha

Examples: tob: *topóǥ (Px1S topóǥem, Px3S -ǥet), pang vein: pangóǥ (Px1S -óǥem, Px2S -óǥel, Px3S -oǥet, Px1P -ógémen), uug end: ugóǥ. 369

Taz

Table of suffixes (for animate nouns) p. 403:

Dual

Plural
N -aǥ (-eäǥ, -äaǥ, -og) N -t
G -áǥan G -den
A -áǥap A -dem (-p)
C -aǥase C -dese
All. -akiini (-ákiini) All. -t kiin (-detkiin)
El. -aǥanán El. -denaan

Dual genitive

Karasino

tebeáǥan [of them two] 396

Dual local cases

Karasino

(Deleted: 2S atäák͔and ‘to/in/from your two reindeers’) [Dual possessive local cases] ought to be either *lok͔aǥágang, *tibenjaǥaǥanǥ or [allative] *loǥáǥak͔kin(eng), *tibenjáǥak͔kini, but both forms are missing, and the dative is in the dual expressed with šide and the dative singular. 400

The dual allative

Narym

kopkan person, šedeǥan to two, hirgan cow, kanakan dog. 163

Baiha

äteäk͔iing [to two reindeers]. 364

Taz

The dative dual is expressed by the genitive singular with an added postposition kiini or kiiniaǥ, e.g.

1S lok͔ana͑kiini or (kiiniaǥ?) 2S lok͔andakiini or (kiiniaǥ?) 3S — [= 2S]
1D lok͔anikiini 2D lok͔andikiini 3D — [= 2D]
1P lok͔anetkiini 2P lok͔andetkiini

[The variant kiiniaǥ (with the dual suffix on the postposition) is later put in brackets and given a question mark]

(Elative 1S dual possessions tibenjáǥeneanán [from my two brothers] etc.) NB. Is usually expressed with šite and singular forms. 408 Dual possession is as in the singular. 411

Karasino

itók͔kin [to the two villages]. NB. The dual dative -k͔kin (-kkin, -kin, -‹k?›kin) is seldom used. 396

The dual dative [allative] takes the postposition kiini on the actual ending -ǥan to distinguish it from the genitive, e.g. aatä reindeer: dual aatäág: allative átäágatkini; šideágatkini to both (šiteáǥatkĭni 433), tebeágatkini to them both, tjundógotkini to two horses, kumógotkini to two persons, imágatkĭni ба́бам / to two women, pičeágatkini to two pikes. 402

Dual inessive/elative

Narym

[Labeled ablative:] šedegannan [by/from the two], kopkannan [person], hirgannan [cow], kanakannan [dog]. 163

Karasino

tebeä́ǥannan [from them both], šiteaǥannán [from the two]. 396

Dual comitative

Narym

šedege with two, kopkahe (singular koffé) [person], (kanaké) [dog, brackets by Castrén], čyndeagé [horse]. Dual instructive is made through -ge (-gh) (-gehe). 163

Dual prosecutive

Taz

Dual possession is marked with šite ‘two’ and [singular] wattómet [along the road], plural with mundeng ‘all’. 409

Karasino

wuettóǥamet [along the two roads], kobóǥamet [skin]. 396

The plural

Narym

In the plural t alternates with n. 88

The plural takes as a connecting vowel a, which usually sounds like aε, and even more often as a͑, ê, e. 88

The plural is inflected regularly like the singular, but also here [as in the dual] the dative and ablative are seldom used, and also inanimate nouns take here the endings for animate nouns [i.e. the case suffixes are not used in the plural]. 88

Examples:

[Consonant stems:] mat house: mádat, kat forehead: kádad, njai bread: njait, kok chief: kot, kup person: kut, kanak dog: kanat (kanát 163), šapak pocket: šapát, hir cow: hirt, hok͔ cape: hógat, tabék squirrel: tabét, tö́nak sleeve: töna’at, lep board: leut, nep name: niut, njap (-b) duck: njabat, nedek girl: nedét, tädäk siberian pine: -dít. 162

[Schwa stems:] and boat: ándat (allative andaden), kagel sledge: kágelt, čof cradle: čófat, tit cloud: titat, pok net: pókat, par height: part, mun finger: munt, el step: elt, teu tooth: téua͑t, yn strap: ynt, au mother: aut, ehe father: ehet, lab oar: lavat, čönd horse: čöndät. 162

[Fixed vowel stems:] kî river: kêt, tu lake: tot, či kettle: čet, twe birch bark: twet, u willow grouse: ut, (lî bone: lêah [dual]), loga fox: loga‹t›, pä́leka half: pälekat, kešká star: -kát. 162

NB. 1. The usual suffix for the plural is -at without accent, 2. Nouns in a vowel take only -t, 3. Those in a diphthong (-eu) add -a-, 4. ‹Others?› take only t, 5. All multisyllabic nouns in -k delete k and the accent is ‹drawn forward?› 6. Those in -p change to u? [= w], 7. NB. tä‹d?›ak ‹unreadable›. 162

Baiha

ä́tet олени, šíbat утки, olet головы, kumet люди, mádet? домы. 364

Taz

kumet, kanat. 403

Genitive plural

Narym

Genitive plural: čöndädäl-lî [bones of the horses], hîrdäl-lî [bones of the cows], logadäl-lî [bone of the foxes], čyndädän-opt hästhår [hair of the horses]. 163

Baiha

éededet paaret [the ends of the villages] 366

Accusative plural

Narym

[Consonant stems:] xirdap cow, madadap house, tabedap squirrel 163

[Schwa stems:] čöndädap horse, pardap tops 163

[Fixed vowel stems:] todap lake, kêdap river, podap tree, logadap fox 163

Allative plural

Narym

hîr cow: hirdän [to the cows], kanak dog: kanádan, kok chief: kodan, ruš Russian: ruštän, čönd horse: čyndädän 163

Baiha

The dative plural in -kii. 366

kumeneng = [singular or plural] kumetking or -k (kuumetkiin) людям / to people, äätetkíng, äätetkii оленям / to reindeers, kanatkíng собакам / to dogs, rúšeneng = ruušetkíng to Russians, kocatkíng (-k) [to sacks], maadetkii [to houses]; loganén = -tkii(ng) [to foxes] 364, kulänén’e [to ravens] 365 eetetkii [to villages]. 366

[The following probably represent possessive 1S plural allatives:] loganénэ [to (my) foxes], kuleänéne(ng) [raven], kuunenén’э [sic, person?], maadenén’э [house]. 364

Karasino

kumedetkini or kumetkini to many persons, aatätkini ~ aatädetkini to many reindeers, tjundetkini ~ tjundedetkini to many horses. 402

Inessive/elative plural

Narym

njap duck: njaptannan [by/from the ducks], ruš Russian: ruštennan, čumdennan Ostyak, čöndedennan horse, hirdennan cow, kudennan person 163

kunnan varga у одного человека живет / he lives by a person: kudennan varga у людей живет / he lives by people. Only animates are declined in the plural, the others take kodsek ‘much’, kašnal ‘each’ etc. 163

Baiha

ätetetnán [from the reindeers], čyndedetnán, c̢yndetnán [horse], kočatnán (kočadšetnán) [sack], kumetnán, ([singular] kumennán) kúmedetnán [person], maadedetnáan’э [house] 364, eetetnáan, eetnenaan’э, eettenaan for eeetetnaan [sic] [village], maattenaan’э [house], (äätetnán, äätetetnáan reindeer) 366

Karasino

aatätnaana (aatättnaana) [from the reindeers], kumetnaana (-tt-) [person], tjundetnaan (-tt-) [horse]. 402

Plural prosecutive

Baiha

The prosecutive does not appear in the plural. 364

Taz

Dual possessions are made by šite ‘two’ and [singular] wattómet, plural through mundeng ‘all’. 409

Karasino

lok͔atómet? [along the foxes], kobetómet (-ttó-) [skin], wuettetómet (-ttó-) [road] (iiteljmómet? [along the villages. Singular, ētəľ mi̮ is collective form]). 397

Comitative plural

Narym

kudehé (kudé) with people, kanadehé (-dé) with dogs, čöndedehe (čöndädé) with horses. 163

Baiha

äätetse [with reindeers]. 364

Karasino

aatätese with reindeers, tjundetese with horses, kumetese with people, ingátese with children. 402

Declension

Stem types

G62 In the northern dialect of Samoyedic [Nenets] the declension of nouns is dependent on whether the last syllable of the word has a sharp or weak aspiration or lacks any aspiration. While in the southern dialect [Selkup] the aspiration has disappeared, the nouns have taken another form. They could here preferably be divided into two declensions:

1. Those that end in a vowel (corresponding to the unaspirated declension in the northern dialect).

2. Those that end in a consonant (corresponding to the aspirated declension in the northern dialect).

These declensions can probably not be cleanly separated from one other; between each class there are still so many differences that they cannot easily be joined into a single declension.

The first declension is principally characterized (as it ends in a vowel) by always having a connecting vowel and it therefore prefers weak suffixes, e.g. koča [sack]: dative kočànd: ablative kočágan: dual kočàg.

The other declension on the contrary takes preferably hard suffixes, due to the final consonant, which in general is hard, e.g. top [brim]: dative topt etc. In this declension however also weak consonants can appear, often liquids.

G63 The first declension can be divided in two classes, of which one comprises all those nouns in a vowel, which have the accent on the ultima [fixed vowel stems], the latter not accenting ultima [schwa stems]. The latter lose in the lower dialect [N] mostly their final vowel in the nominative, but they restore it when the word is inflected. In the Ket and Čulym dialect, however, the final vowel is heard also in the nominative, although so muddled that it is hardly heard (unless the connecting vowel is concerned).

In the second declension there are two classes:

1. Nouns in tenues

2. Nouns in liquids, some in l, n, sibilants s, š.

GSL173-176: In their inflection the nouns of the second declension show some differences, depending on the final consonant. In this respect the nouns can be divided into two classes: 1. those that end in k (ng), p (m), t (and dialectally those on s, š), 2. those that end in r, l, ľ (i [ɔ: j]) (and dialectally n). The latter take in the locative-ablative, and in the dual a weak ǥ and end in the prosecutive in -un (-ut), while the former in the locative-ablative, and in the dual require a hard k͔, and in the prosecutive preferably the suffix -men. Exceptionally however also nouns of the first class take the weak ǥ for nouns in ng and m, and in the prosecutive the suffix -un. Additionally, nouns in l, ľ  take in the dative singular instead of the suffix t in some dialects the suffix dš, in others ď, ť.

Nouns of the second class keep their final consonant unchanged when inflected. Exceptionally however l is changed to i [= j] in Ket and Čulym dialects.

G63 The regular declension in each declension takes place according to the following scheme:

Singular
Nominative 1. vowel 2. consonant
Genitive n n
Accusative p p
Dative n, nd t (n), d
Ablative-Locative nnan, ǥan nnan, k͔an, ǥan
Prosecutive un (ut) men (un)
Instructive he or se he or se

Dual
Nominative ǥ k͔ (k͔a), ǥ

Plural
Nominative t or la t or la

First or weak declension [vowel stems]

The first class [fixed vowel stems]

G64 The deviations in this class refer only to the connecting vowel. It consists here of the final vowel of the stem, which is, however, subject to specific changes. It remains unchanged only in nouns in a, o and u, that are declined after the following pattern:

[The second paradigm is intended to represent only Č]

Singular

Dual

Plural
N loǥà fox logà N logàǥ N logalà or logàt logalà
G logàn logàn (G Deleted:logagan) G logalan logalàn
A logàm or -p logàm A logalam or ††-p
D logàn, logann, logani logànn, loganì D logalàn (-nn), logalani logalann, logalani
Abl.-Loc logannàn (-nàn), logáǥan (NB. -ǥan) logannàn, logágan
Abl.[sic] logalannàn logalannàn
Loc.[sic] logalágan
P logaùn, loǥannaún (GSL165: logaut, loǥaun) logaùn P logalaún
C logahè or -sè, Č logaseä logasè C ††logalahè or -se

Dual

Plural
N tuldjo [chest] N ††tuldjóg N tuldjolà or ††tuldjot
G tuldjòn G tuldjolàn
A ††tuldjop or -m A tuldjolàm
D tuldjònd, Č tuldjondö D tuldjolànd or -lanì
Abl. tuldjógan (-gon) Abl. tuldjolágan
P tuldjòun P tuldjoláun tuldjolàùn
C ††tuldjohè, -sè C ††tuldjolahè or -sè tuldjolase

Singular

Plural
N ú willow grouse [*tú feather] N úlà (cf. íilä̀ [son])
G ún G úlàn
A um
D un or úni D úlani
Abl. únnàn, úǥon túnnàn, túǥon, NP -gánna Abl. úlannàn, uláǥan tulágan
P u’ùn tú’ùn P úlaùn
C úseä túseä C úlasè

NB. The regular inflection of the dual and the plural would be the following:

G65

Dual

Plural
N loǥaǥ N logàt
G logagan G logàdan (-dэn, -dên)?
A logagap
D logagan D logadan
Abl. logágannàn Abl. logadaênnàn
P logagut P loganùt
C logaǥehé or ††-se (logaǥè or ††-k͔se) C logadé

GSL165

G loǥāǥan G loǥaden
A loǥāǥap, loǥāǥam A loǥadep, loǥadem
D loǥāǥan, loǥaǥani, [Taz] loǥa‹t›king, -kin D loǥaden, loǥadeni, [Taz] loǥatking, -kin
Abl. loǥāǥanan, loǥāǥannan Abl. loǥadenan, loǥadennan
P loǥāǥut, loǥāǥun P loǥanut, loǥanun
C loǥāǥahe, loǥāǥē, loǥāǥase, -sea C loǥad‹e›he, loǥade, loǥadese, -sea, loǥatse)

Of these are actually heard instructive in each number, and also the others are tolerated and understood by the Samoyeds, although they are not used, at least not in the dialects which I have studied.

GSL165 From the paradigms above, the inanimate nouns differ only by their dative singular ending in nd, and the locative or ablative which takes the suffix ǥan, e.g. koǯa sack, dative koǯand, locative and ablative koǯaǥan, plural [collective] nominative koǯala, dative koǯaland, ablative koǯalagan. These suffixes I have, however, not noticed in the dual, nor in the plural in t, but instead the usual suffixes for animate objects [the postpositions] are used.

[About the preaspiration before k͔] Nouns in e (and ê) differ in their flexion only in that before the ablative suffix -ǥan and in the nominative dual the final vowel e is changed to ea, e.g. kulè raven, tyldè gun, pê bark: genitive kulen, tylden, pên: dative kulen, tyldend, pênd: ablative kulennan, tyldeagan, pêagan: prosecutive kuleun, tyldeun, pêun: instructive kulehe (-se), tyldehe (††-se), pêhe (-se): dual kuleaǥ, tyldeaǥ, pêaǥ: plural kulela, ††tyldela: GSL166 plural pêla, pêt. G66 In Čulym and the northern dialect [Nenets] these nouns take also in the nominative the diphthong eä instead of e, but in both dialects the latter vowel preferably is omitted in all cases except for the ablative singular and in the dual. Those words in which e is the latter vowel of a diphthong can probably lengthen the connecting vowel [sic], but preferably keep it unchanged, e.g. köe birch: köeagan or köegan, Č sie tongue: ablative siegan, Č pîêbark: ablative pîêgan.

GSL166 The nouns in e are declined regularly according to the following paradigms:

Animate:

Singular

Dual

Collective / Plural
N kule raven N kuleaǥ N kulela, kulet
G kulen G kulelan
A kulep A kulelap
P kuleut P kulelaun
C kulehe C kulelahe
All. kulen All. kulelan
In.-El. kulenan In.-El. kulelanan

Inanimate:

Singular

Dual

Collective / Plural
N tylde gun N tyldeag N ††tyldela, tyldet
G tylden G ††tyldelan
A tyldep A ††tyld‹ela›p
D tyldend D ††tyldeland
Loc.-Abl. tyldeagan Loc-Abl. ††tyldelāgan
P tyldeut
C tyldehe

G67 Nouns in i take similarly before the dual and the ablative suffix the extension ia and are otherwise completely regularly declined, e.g. čyni stable: genitive čynind [sic, ɔ: čynin]: dative čynind: ablative čyniágan: dual čyniág [Note: it is often impossible to determine on which of a pair of vowel letters the accent is written. One would expect that it is on the real vowel. Here it is distinctly written over the preaspiration], GSL167 plural ††čynila or čynit; ī son: dative in: locative īnan: dual īag: plural īla or it.

G68 Nouns in y are declined regularly, but they lengthen the final vowel at the aforementioned places to yo, e.g. [Č or K] pyy stone: dative pynd: ablative pyogan or pynnan: prosecutive pyun: instructive pyse: dual pyoǥ. NB. Nouns in ö and ä do not belong to this declension, as these vowels [= schwa] do not take stress. Also, these endings belong properly only to the Čulym dialect.

GSL168 The animate and inanimate nouns in y and ö are declined similarly as nouns in e, observing what earlier has been said about the connecting vowel, e.g. [N] pö stone: ablative pöogon: dual pöog; njy burbot: ablative njynnan; dual njyog; ty fire: ablative tyogon: dual tyog.

G67 Those that end in î change their final vowel in all other cases to ê, e.g. kî river, pî [sic!] night, lî bone: genitive kên, pên, lên: dative kênd, pênd, lênd: ablative kêagan, pêagan, lêagan. Dialectally comes also: lîn: lîagan (deleted: pin), kîaǥan etc.

The second class [schwa stems]

G69 Nouns that stress the first syllable, and therefore completely omit the final vowel, or pronounce it with a muddled sound, are of two kinds: 1. those that contain hard [back] vowels, and 2. those that have weak [front] vowels in the stem. The former take in accented syllables o (deleted: in Č dialect ö) as connecting vowel, the latter take e or ea. In the cases that do not stress the connecting vowel, this (the connecting vowel) is vague and very varied.

[About schwa:] All hard stems that in accented syllables take the connecting vowel o show in unaccented syllables as a connecting vowel a more or less pure a, o, (u), e, and in the Č dialect also ö, ä. The weak stems, that have as a connecting vowel in accented syllables ea, take in unaccented syllables a vowel approaching ä, e (all these vowels are pronounced in the Č dialect already in the nominative with a clear enough sound; in the K dialect the pronunciation is less fixed). The Ob dialect [N], which likes to omit the final vowel in the nominative, takes preferably instead of all these vowels in both hard and weak stems a sound G70 that usually approaches the obscure ê, but undergoes various modifications dependent on the quality of the neighbouring vowels.

As it is not possible in the Ob dialect [N] to denote these modifications of specific sounds shifting and merging into each other, we have resorted to ê to denote them all, and we will here briefly describe the circumstances that can cause differences in their pronunciation.

a) If the preceding syllable contains a, the ê [schwa] takes this same sound in the final syllable, e.g. lab [oar]: genitive labên or laban.

b) If the preceding syllable contains o or u, the unaccented connecting vowel sounds like a muddled o (especially after a ǥ), e.g. tób foor: genitive tobên or tóbon, mun finger: munên or munon, porg fur: porgon, njulg fir: njulgon.

c) If the preceding syllable contains ö or ä, the same sound is often heard in the suffix, e.g. ög hat: genitive ögön or ögên, käd gut: kädän or kädên. Otherwise all weak stems take the same connecting vowel ê (e).

d) G71 Also after sibilants there follows always the connecting vowel ê, which in Č appears already in the nominative singular, e.g. madš forest: genitive madšen.

e) Also the vowel in the following syllable, when stressed, affects the connecting vowel and causes the same changes, e.g. mun finger: genitive munên (munon): instructive munêsé, plural munala etc.

With the aid of these notes all words of the second class in the Ob dialect [N] can be declined according to the following two paradigms, one with a hard stem, the other with a weak stem:

1. 2.

Singular
N úd hand N [K or Č] kynd [horse] (GSL169 N čynd), teb [man]
G údên G kyndên (OO kynnên) (GSL169 čynden)
A údêp A ††kyndêp (GSL169 čyndep)
D udònd D [K] kyndènd (kynnénd) or [OO] kynnênì (GSL169 čynden)
Abl. udógan Abl. kyndeáǥan
In.-El. udênnàn In.-El. kyndênnán ([OO] kynnennan) (GSL169 čyndenan)
P udóut P ††kyndéut (GSL169 čyndeut)
C udêhé (udé) or udêsè C ††kyndêhé (††kyndé) or kyndese (OO kyntse) (GSL169 čyndehe)

Dual
N udóǥ N ††kyndéag (GSL169 čyndeaǥ)

Plural
N údêt, udêlá N ††kyndêt, kyndêla (GSL169 ††čyndela)
G udêlàn G kyndelàn
A udêlam A kyndêlam
D udêlánd D kyndelàn or -lanì
Abl. udèlágan Abl. kyndêlannàn
P udêlaùn P kyndêlaun
C udêlasè C kyndelasé

Additional paradigms in GSL169:

Singular
N lîmb eagle N [N] ēd village
G lîmben G ēden
A lîmbep A ēdep
D lîmben D ēdend
Abl. lîmbenan Abl. edeagan
P lîmbeut [sic, -e-] P edeut
C lîmbehe C ēdehe

Dual
N lîmboǥ N edeag

Plural
N lîmbela N edela, edet

G72 Among the nouns that in the Ob dialect [N] end in the letters l and n, most take when undergoing inflection a connecting vowel, and thus they belong to this class. In unaccented syllables the connecting vowel can probably sometimes be omitted, but in the accented syllables it is preserved, especially in hard stems, e.g. îl bottom: genitive îlên or îln: dative îlónd: ablative îlóǥan: prosecutive îlóun; kuel fish: kueln: kuelond: kuelógan [the last forms are changed from kîlond, kîlógan, being kī̮lə ‘breast’], ol head: olên (olon), oln: olónd: ológan, mún finger: munên (munon): munónd: munógan. (In the nominative plural [collective] when the connecting vowel is omitted, n before l can become l, e.g. [Č] kesen [snare]: plural kesella, [K] cesen [shoestrap]: plural cesella).

G73 The Ket dialect tends in this class to double the final consonant, and this duplication appears in the nominative although the word takes an unaccented half vowel. This duplication is then in inflected forms preserved or omitted according to the following paradigm:

Singular

Plural
N toppa foot N toppêlá
G tóbên
A tóbêm
D toppónd
Abl. toppógan
P toppóun
C toppêsé

[About schwa:] In the Č dialect the peculiarities in this class are due to the final vowel of the stem, which here (deleted: hardly changes in the unaccented syllables, but in the accented syllables are subject to less common changes) due to its broader sound both could and should be denoted with separate symbols. As the final vowels in this class come a, o (u), ä, ö and after the sibilants dš, ǥ [sic?] the vowel ê instead of ä (andšê [boat], îndšê [bow]). (In the OO dialect ê is sometimes heard instead of ä, ö) G74 These can change in the following way:

a) In unaccented syllables:

1. a can be preserved or changed to ê, if it is not preceded [sic], when a either is preserved or after an o, u is changed to o, e.g. tóoba foot: genitive toban or tobên, kuarga bear: genitive kuargan, nuga nape: genitive nugon.

2. A final [a] is preserved or changed to u, e.g. ygo hat: genitive ygun: plural ygula, yngo weir: yngun: yngula.

3. The vowel ö is usually preserved, but is sometimes transformed to y after weak stem vowels, e.g. ýnö strap: genitive ynön: instructive ýnysèä: plural ýnylä.

4. The vowels ê and ä (alternate in the OO dialect and) are preserved in unaccented syllables, e.g. [Č] ietä or [OO] iedэ [village]: genitive [Č] ietän or [OO] iedэn. G75

5. Often the unaccented connecting vowel before an accented syllable is completely omitted, e.g. muunö finger: instructive munöзeä or munзeä: plural munla, útö hand: utöseä or ucèä: utla, kyndö horse: kynce, andše boat: antse.

6. In nominative plural the endings -a and -ä alternate in words with both hard and weak syllables, e.g. logala or -lä, tuldj‹ölä› (belonging to the first declension).

b) In accented syllables.

1. Every final vowel is changed after hard-stem vowels to o, after weak to e, ea.

2. In the dative singular comes in Č ö comes often after hard-stem vowels, if the final vowel is ö, ä, e, e.g. utö [hand]: dative utönd, optä hair: optönd, kuače town: kuačönd. In the upper [ɔ: lower, = N] dialect is heard o: udond, kuačond etc.

3. [Č:] Nouns in a tend to keep in dative their connecting vowel unchanged, e.g. tóba: dative toband. [sic]

Nouns that have the letters nd change in the Č dialect d to dš, and take the final vowel e. Their inflection is thus peculiar in that dš when undergoing inflection can be assimilated by a preceding n, e.g.

G76

Singular

Plural
N andše (-ê) [boat] N andšela
G andšen or annên
A andšem (*andêp)
D annönd (annond)
Abl. andšógan (*andogan)
P andšòun or annóun
C antsèä (*andêhè)

G67 [Nouns in -jə, -wə] Nouns in i and u with a preceding vowel [= j and w] are declined in the dual and in inanimates in the ablative and dative and prosecutive after the second class [of the first declension], i.e. they take a connecting vowel and change i, u to j, v, e.g. [N] hai eye, šiu ashes: genitive hain, šiun: dative hajond, šivend: ablative hajógan, šiweagan: prosecutive hajoun (hajun), šiweun: instructive ††haise, siuse: dual hajoǥ, siweag: plural hait or ††haila, siut or siula. The animate nouns are declined regularly.

NB. Those nouns in j, which in the dative take -ldš belong to the second declension.

NB. In the NP dialect nouns in i [= j] drop their connecting vowel, those in w are declined after the second class [of the first declension] (sivvэ, tivvэ).

GSL167 Examples of inanimate nouns in i, u with a preceding vowel [= -jə, -wə] are:

Singular
N hai eye šiu ashes
G hain šiun
A haip, haim, hajom šiup, šium, siwem
D hajond šiwend
Loc.-Abl. hajōgon siweagan
P hajout šiweun
C haihe siuse

Dual
N hajoǥ šiweag

Plural
N ††haila, hait siula, šiut

Second declension [consonant stems]

G77 This declension is in the northern dialect [Nenets] divided in two classes, of which one contains nouns with weak aspiration. These take in the suffixes weak consonants. The other class contains nouns with hard aspiration, and require hard consonants. This difference in this dialect [Selkup] is not valid, while both the weak and hard aspiration are here replaced with hard consonants, the former with k (k͔) [sic!, Castrén means ŋ-stems], the latter with t. Thus also the suffixes must in each case take hard letters. In some branches of the Tomsk dialect [Selkup] the weak aspiration might well also be replaced with ng, but (deleted: this sound is in flexion usually hardened) in any case the connecting vowel is omitted, which is characteristic for this declension.

Like the nouns in weak aspiration are declined in the northern dialect [Nenets] all words in -m. This consonant transforms in the southern dialect [Selkup] to p, which ranks among the hard consonants and therefore requires a hard suffix. As in the northern, also in the southern dialect this consonant transforms in some cases to a vowel and merges with the preceding vowel into a long sound.

G78 As in this dialect the hard aspiration is changed to t, there arises here from the aforementioned process a natural class of nouns ending in hard consonants, tenues: k, p, t (they have the accent in the nominative on the ultima, sometimes also in the nominative on the paenultima, but in the genitive on the ultima). Another class comprises here, like in the third declension of the northern dialect, the nouns in r, and those in l, n, which do not take a connecting vowel. Here belong also some in j (for lj). These take both hard and weak suffixes, but they belong to the second declension, as they omit the connecting vowel.

GSL173 In their inflection the nouns of the second declension show some differences, dependent on the final consonant. With respect hereto the nouns can be divided into two classes: 1. those that end in k (ng), p (m), t (and dialectally those in s, š), 2. those that end in r, l, ľ (i [ɔ: j]) (and dialectally n). The latter take in the locative-ablative, and in the dual the weak [voiced] character ǥ and end in the prosecutive in -un (-ut), while the former in the locative-ablative and in the dual demand the hard [unvoiced] character k͔, and in the prosecutive preferably the suffix -men. Exceptionally however also nouns of the first class take the weak character ǥ for nouns in ng and m, and in prosecutive the suffix -un. Additionally, nouns in l, ľ take in the dative singular instead of the suffix t in some dialects the suffix dš, in others ď, ť.

The first class [stems in p, m, t, k͔, k, ŋ]

[Note: Castrén means that the first class should contain words that take unvoiced suffixes, the second taking voiced suffixes, but as he does not understand how to properly distinguish stops and nasals, the classes have been mixed.]

G79 In the first class each of the final consonants k (k͔), p, t causes minor diversities and changes in the flexion. Those in k are characterized especially by that k is easily omitted, which always appears if upon it in the same syllable follows another consonant than t. In the Ob dialect [N] also k tends to fall off before the ablative suffix k͔an (kan). The Ket and Čulym dialects change k to ng and the declension will then be modified, e.g. (note the stress):

Singular
N K OO
N kanàk dog kanàng kanàng
G kanàn kanàn (Č kanagan) kanagn
A kanak, kanap kanang, kanam (Č kanagm) kanagm
D kanakt kanángd kanangdэ
D [All.] kanàn kananì (Č kanagnì) kanagni (Taz kanan’э)
Abl. kanakan kanangǥan (pelengǥan)
Abl. [El.] kanannan kanannàn (Č kanagnàn) kanangnan
P ††kanaùn (††kanakmen) kanangmen kanangmen (pelengmen)
C kanahè (GSL177: kanaxe) kanaksè kanakse

Dual
N kanàk͔

Plural
N kanàt or ††kanala kanala (Č kanagla) kanagla or -lä
D [All.] -làn, kanaglänì

[Note: the second column is meant to be both K and Č, but a third column marked OO has been added. Afterwards was added a single allative from Taz]

GSL177

Singular
N tönak sleeve tynang
G tönan
A tönap tynam
D tönakt tynangd
Abl. tönak͔an tynangǥan
P ††tönakmen tynangmen, ††tynaun
C tönaxe tynakse

Dual
N ††tynak͔

Plural
N tynala, ††tynat

G80 Nouns in k show other peculiarities:

1. Some words in k, which accent the first syllable, take in the genitive singular and in the plural in the upper dialect [sic, ɔ: lower = N] i instead of э, e.g. ábэk (ábak) lid, tädэk siberian pine, nódek sterled: genitive abìn, tädín, nodín: plural abit, tädit, nodit. In the upper dialects they are regular: [Č] tä̆teng: genitive tätegn, lúočeng: luočegn.

2. If ö, y precedes k, ng, this changes to u [= w] where it otherwise is omitted, e.g. kök or kyng capercaillie: genitive köun, kyun: dative [allative] köun or [dative] kökt, kyuni or ††kykt: ablative [elative] köunnan, kyunnan etc.

3. Nouns in -ek sometimes change e to ea, e.g. nedek [girl]: dual nedeak͔. (Deleted: NB. Words in -ek take in dual -eak, e.g. pelek half, nedek girl: dual peleak͔, nedeak. Those in -ek sometimes change e to ea, e.g. tabek squirrel: dual tabeak)

(ok [collar]: genitive oon)

G81 Nouns in k͔ (ng) belong properly to the first declension and can be declined regularly like other nouns belonging to this category. [Here Castrén means words in -k͔k͔ə and -ŋk͔ə. About consonant stems:] Sometimes they however omit the connecting vowel in the dative, ablative and instructive and take also in the prosecutive suffixes for the second declension, e.g. [K] sak͔ salt, sok͔ ice sludge [sic!, ɔ: cape]: genitive sagaэn, sogoэn: dative sak͔t, sok͔t: ablative sakkan, sok͔k͔oan: prosecutive sak͔men, sok͔men: instructive sak͔se, sok͔se.

Nouns in p for m change these consonants in inflected forms to u [= w]. If an o precedes p it merges with the suffix vowel to a long accentuated ú. The other peculiarities are easily obtained from the following paradigms:

Singular
N nop or nom [God] lep or lem [board]
G núun leun
A (nominative nop) (nominative lep)
D nú‹u›n or -ni (núnì), nŭnì lept or lemd (††lemn)
Abl. núunnàn lepk͔àn or lemǥàn [sic, -à-] (GSL177: lepk͔an, lemǥan)
P ††núummen (?††lepmen or) lemmèn [sic, -è-]
(GSL177: nommen, ††nū’un) (GSL177: lemmen, ††leú’un)
C nofè or nopsè lefè or lepsè

Dual
N nopk͔a lepk͔a

Plural
N nuut or nuula leula (GSL177: leula, leut)

(GSL177: “Accusative should surely be *nūp, *leum, but this form I have not attested”)

NB. Thus are declined all words in a single p, e.g. kop person, kap blood, nep (nim) name etc.

Words with pp or some other consonant before p take a vowel at the end and are declined after the first declension. However, there are in the upper dialect endings in p instead of b, that are declined either [not written].

NB. Nouns ending in -rp change in some dialects p to u [= w], but in others let this be omitted, e.g. [N] orp [strength]: genitive orún or [K] orn, [N] terp [roe]: terun or [K] tern, [Ob?] surp [animal]: genitive surún or [K] suurn.

NB. After either the first or the second declension: njap [duck] (prop. ††njaaba or ††njaab): genitive njábэn: dative ††njábond or njapt.

G82 In the case of nouns ending in t the final consonant is preserved throughout inflection, but it is changed before a vowel to d, and dialectally before weak consonants to n and in the instructive before s to s, e.g.

Singular

Dual

Plural
N mát house N matk͔a N madэla or madэt
G mádên (madan)
A mádêp
D mátta (mattэ)
Abl. mátk͔àn [sic, -à-] (GSL178: matk͔an)
P mátmèn, manmèn [sic, -è-] (GSL178: manmen)
C matse [is genitive 3S] or masʃè

[The following paradigm is marked with a large question mark:]

Singular

Dual

Plural
N töt otter N tötk͔a N tödэlà or tödeэt
G tödên (töten)
A tödêp
D tött(э)
D [All.] tötnì, tödênì, tödèn (Taz tö́öten э (töden э))
Abl. tötkan or tödênnàn (Taz tö́ötennán)
P tötmèn, tönmèn [sic, -è-] (GSL178: tönmen)
C tötse [is comitative 3S], tösse (Taz tö́össä)

NB. Thus are declined all words in a single t with a preceding vowel, e.g. yt water, k͔át forehead, kö́t ten, kot cough, kuet shoulder, all derived words in -fat (-psot, -psöt) [-psan being actually n-stems] and -et, e.g. elofat life, udšufat work, apsot or apsöt food, hengdšet elbow etc. But the words in -tt or a consonant before t take in the end a half vowel and are declined after the first declension, e.g. G83 watt (wattэ, watta) road, titt (tittэ, titt‹ä›) cloud, opt (optэ, opta, opt‹ä›) hair, čapt dew etc.

The second class [stems in r, l, j, s, ś, n]

[Note: Castrén means that the first class should contain words that take unvoiced suffixes, the second taking voiced suffixes, but as he does not understand that stops and nasals should be distinguished properly, the classes have been muddled.]

This class consists of:

1. nouns in r, which always omit the connecting vowel but take either hard or weak suffixes, e.g.

Singular
N hîr cow tar wool
G hîrn tarn
A (nominative hîr) (nominative tar)
D hîrn (††-rnì) tarn
Abl. hîrnnan or hîrnan targàn [sic, -à-] (GSL178: tarnan)
P ††hîrún ††tarún
C hîrhè, ††-rse, ††-rзe tarhè (††-rse, ††-rзe)

Dual
N hîrǥ tarǥ

Plural
N hîrt or ††hîrla tarla or tart

(GSL178: “The expected accusative *hîrp, *hîrm, *tarp, *tarm I have nowhere attested”)

G84 In the same way is declined

2. in some dialects nouns in l with a preceding short vowel, e.g. kêl (käl) pit: genitive keln: dative ††kelt (Č kälttä): accusative [= nominative] kel: ablative kelgan: dual kelǥ (kelóǥ): plural kêlt or kella. In the dative singular t is changed dialectally to dš, e.g. ††kêlt or keldš, and the dual tends to take a connecting vowel. In the Ket dialect also these words are declined according to the first declension [sic].

As the nouns in l are declined in the upper [ɔ: lower, = N] dialect those in -lj, that in dative by inanimate nouns always end in ldš, e.g. [N] aolj chin: genitive aoljn: dative aoljdš: ablative aoljgan etc. In the Ket dialect l drops in all cases except for dative singular, that ends in ldje (ldj), e.g. awoi: genitive awoin: dative aoldje: ablative aoigan, similarly syi navel: syldje, kuei soul: kueldje, njai bread: njaldje etc. In the Čulym dialect l disappears completely and [dative] ends in -tj or -tj, e.g. njai bread: genitive njain: dative njátj(e), avai: awatj(e), kuei: kuetje.

G85 Like the nouns in r are declined in the Ob dialect [N]

3. the nouns in n with preceding short vowel, which however can also be declined after the first declension, e.g. yn [strap]: genitive ynn (yn) or ynen: dative ynt [false] or ynend [correct]: ablative yngan [false] etc. In the Ket and Čulym dialects the dative singular takes after n the weak suffix d, e.g. [K] can sinew: dative cand or candэ, kesen snare: kesend(э), cesen [shoe strap]: cesend(‹â›). Concerning the Ket dialect, it especially must be noted that disyllabic words both in r and n in the genitive singular draw the accent onto the ultima, and due to that double the consonant, e.g. cóber berry: genitive coppèrn, késen snare: genitive kessèn. The same duplication occurs also in the plural due to accent on the ultima, e.g. copperlà, kessenlà.

To this class belong

4. nouns in s, š with a preceding short vowel, that not only omit the connecting vowel, but also take hard suffixes, e.g. [N] hebandies lead, čoš tallow: genitive hebandiesn, čošn: dative hebandiest, čošt: ablative hebandiesk͔an, čošk͔an: dual hebandiesk͔a, čošk͔a: plural hebandiest or ††-sla, čošt or ††čošla. [Note: the word /hi̮pənćässə/ from Russian свинец should be a schwa stem, but ss is in this unnatural position treated as a unique single phoneme s].